The Toxic Smog Cloud Hanging Over Shanghai Looks Just As Bad As It Sounds

Shanghai is notorious for its terrible air quality, but the smog in this Chinese metropolis just hit absurd levels. The government's air pollution monitoring site records the level of PM2.5, particulate matter hazardous to health, at 477 as of this writing, one of the highest pollution levels ever recorded. The World Health Organization recommends an average PM2.5 level of 20 or below.

A fetid product of industrial pollution, car exhaust and particulate matter from coal burning, this blanket has been left to fester in the city's streets due to a bout of cold and still weather. It makes the city a dangerous place to be a living, breathing human right now. "Severely polluted" air, the government site states, puts residents at increased risk of cardiopulmonary diseases, and it's suggested that everyone in the city avoid outdoor activity.

Shanghai authorities ordered schoolchildren indoors and halted all construction Friday as China's financial hub suffered one of its worst bouts of air pollution, bringing visibility down to a few dozen meters, delaying flights and obscuring the city's spectacular skyline.

The financial district was shrouded in a yellow haze, and noticeably fewer people walked the city's streets. Vehicle traffic also was thinner, as authorities pulled 30 percent of government vehicles from the roads. They also banned fireworks and public sporting events.

A Reddit user posted photos taken on Thursday and Friday, showing the dramatic change:

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described Shanghai as the capital of China. That would be Beijing.

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All photos by Chinese artist Wang Qingsong.

An airport ground crew worker wears a mask in thick smog on the tarmac of Hongqiao airport in Shanghai as severe pollution blankets the city on December 6, 2013. The cities most harmful PM2.5 density soared to 468 micrograms per cubic metre by midnight more than 10 times the level deemed safe by the World Health Organization state media said. AFP PHOTO/Peter PARKS (Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

An aircraft is barely visible through thick smog on the tarmac of Hongqiao airport in Shanghai as severe pollution blankets the city on December 6, 2013. The cities most harmful PM2.5 density soared to 468 micrograms per cubic metre by midnight more than 10 times the level deemed safe by the World Health Organization state media said. AFP PHOTO/Peter PARKS (Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

Aircraft are barely visible through thick smog on the tarmac of Hongqiao airport in Shanghai as severe pollution blankets the city on December 6, 2013. The cities most harmful PM2.5 density soared to 468 micrograms per cubic metre by midnight more than 10 times the level deemed safe by the World Health Organization state media said. AFP PHOTO/Peter PARKS (Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

HARBIN, CHINA - DECEMBER 03: (CHINA OUT) A pedestrian wearing a mask walks along a road as heavy smog engulfs the city on December 3, 2013 in Harbin, China. Harbin Meteorological Bureau issued an orange warning on smog on Tuesday morning. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)

HARBIN, CHINA - DECEMBER 03: (CHINA OUT) Vehicles are driven along a road as heavy smog engulfs the city on December 3, 2013 in Harbin, China. Harbin Meteorological Bureau issued an orange warning on smog on Tuesday morning. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)

HARBIN, CHINA - DECEMBER 03: (CHINA OUT) A pedestrian wearing a mask walks along a road as heavy smog engulfs the city on December 3, 2013 in Harbin, China. Harbin Meteorological Bureau issued an orange warning on smog on Tuesday morning. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)

London landmarks were barely visible as smog covered the capital in the hot weather this morning.

SHANGHAI, CHINA - NOVEMBER 07: (CHINA OUT) A cleaner works at the Bund as heavy smog engulfs the city on November 7, 2013 in Shanghai, China. People were advised to stay indoors today as the Shanghai Environment Agency measured air pollution levels at five out of a possible six. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)

SHANGHAI, CHINA - NOVEMBER 07: (CHINA OUT) A woman does morning exercises at the Bund as heavy smog engulfs the city on November 7, 2013 in Shanghai, China. People were advised to stay indoors today as the Shanghai Environment Agency measured air pollution levels at five out of a possible six. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)

SHANGHAI, CHINA - NOVEMBER 07: (CHINA OUT) A man practices Tai Chi at the Bund as heavy smog engulfs the city on November 7, 2013 in Shanghai, China. People were advised to stay indoors today as the Shanghai Environment Agency measured air pollution levels at five out of a possible six. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)

SHANGHAI, CHINA - NOVEMBER 07: (CHINA OUT) Buildings at Lujiazui are shrouded in smog on November 7, 2013 in Shanghai, China. People were advised to stay indoors today as the Shanghai Environment Agency measured air pollution levels at five out of a possible six. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)

SHANGHAI, CHINA - NOVEMBER 07: (CHINA OUT) A woman runs at the Bund as heavy smog engulfs the city on November 7, 2013 in Shanghai, China. People were advised to stay indoors today as the Shanghai Environment Agency measured air pollution levels at five out of a possible six. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)

SHANGHAI, CHINA - NOVEMBER 07: (CHINA OUT) People wander at the Bund as heavy smog engulfs the city on November 7, 2013 in Shanghai, China. People were advised to stay indoors today as the Shanghai Environment Agency measured air pollution levels at five out of a possible six. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)